Gentle Breeze

Daniel Acker, Getty Images

There are not many times Iowa comes to the forefront of the news, but I believe last week was one of them.  Last Monday, central Iowa experienced a derecho.  I have lived here my whole life and I had to look up the word. A derecho is a storm of straight line winds with gusts exceeding 100 mph. According to one source, a Iowa is as prone to derechos as Florida is to hurricanes*.

The closest thing I can remember was July 1999 in Minnesota. I went out to look up the information on that event and while it was referred to as a derecho, I remember it being called a "blow-down," mowing across 500,000 acres of Boundary Waters. The reason I remember the event is because my sister, Jaye, was in the middle of it. She literally hid under large fallen trees and when it was over had to hike back out of the area. It was incredibly scary for her, as was last week's storm for people here in Iowa.

From what I can tell, the storm destroyed about ten million acres of cropland across a swath in the middle of the state.  If (big if) the acreage is correct, and half of the crop was lost, and it was all in corn, the lost crops would be just about 1 billion bushels of corn lost this year.  Last year's corn yield in Iowa was 2.58 billion bushels, so it is easy to see this was an unbelievable storm and loss. Beyond the farming loss, over eight thousand homes were damaged or destroyed and at one point half a million people were without power.

In the midst of all of this, I believe we only had three fatalities, which is amazing and a reason to be thankful.  The resilience of the state and the people here never ceases to amaze me. I have to say thank you to all of the utility companies sending crews to help out. I heard there were even crews from British Columbia here helping. Simply amazing. 

One area that was hit was northeast of here around Perry. My company has a bulk plant there and other than no electricity and finding part of the neighbor's roof in the plant, things were fine. Late last week, when I talked to the manager and asked how things were going, he told me everything was taking longer, but all was good. Then he told me with his spare time, after cleaning up his home and helping with family, he was out helping neighbors and customers get things cleaned up. I'm sure this happens with this type of event everywhere but in the middle of a time when it seems like so much conversation and writing is derisive, it makes me smile to hear people just be good with each other.

Most of you know I am in the petroleum business. One thing I discovered in the middle of all this is there is a significant similarity between the petroleum business and the ice cream business. Neither of them works well without electricity. In the days we were without power in our  Des Moines plant, we had to be creative in getting trucks filled and product out to customers needing to work or run generators. 

During the same period of time, without power or a backup of any type, my favorite ice cream place, Hickman Soft Serve, lost all their product. Once we could get back out and around, and I discovered they were shut down, I worried they may not be able to come back from this. As far as I know, this was their first year in this business and although I have done all I can to help them, the sign on the drive through saying, "Closed - No Electricity" was worrisome. I saw the sign on Sunday when I needed ice cream.

Fast forward to Tuesday of this week.  I was still worrying about them, so I called to see if they were open.  When they answered the phone, I recognized the woman's voice. She's usually at the window to take my order. I asked if they were open and she told me yes. Ah, the joy. Then she asked if I was the guy in the brown pickup truck. Of course, I said I was. She told me I needed to wait as the ice cream novelty I usually bought wouldn't be ready for a few days. 

We have lived several places in the United States, but conversations like this make me know that this is home.

If you lost power, or had damage from the storm, I hope you are getting back to normal. I might suggest that today would be a good day for ice cream. Of course, I think any day is a good day for ice cream.

Take care and be careful.

* https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/08/19/iowa-derecho-hurricane/

Support

In the middle of this year we call 2020, I believe many of us are discovering how much support is required for organizations and people around us. Watching the news has become something to avoid, as it is possible to focus on the things going wrong and find yourself going down a rabbit hole created by the media. However, I continue to be amazed at stories about people doing for others in a way rarely experienced in my lifetime. Many of these extraordinary acts have been around funds for groups needing help, but many have just been simple acts of human kindness. 

Some of you know I work in an industry which can't work from home. Every day, we need to deliver product so all of you can continue in your daily endeavors. We deliver fuel and lubricants. But, as I said, the care we see from both inside and outside the company is amazing. 

Today, I was talking to a salesperson for the company. He is wired to want to get in front of current and potential customers to make a connection so as to continue business growth. Today, we discussed having the respect to stay away from others if they want us to. There are times basic respect is such a powerful thing. As we talked, I told him the story from a couple of weeks ago. I had a salesperson show up without any type of notice, making a true "cold call" at our front door. Not only did I explain they were not welcome in our facility at this time, but I also made a mental note they will most likely never see any business from us. Although respect has, on occasion, fallen out of the business equation, I believe it is more important than ever now. In working with another business or another person, if you begin by making them feel unsafe or insecure, what are the hopes the interaction will come to a good result? I have a ton of respect for the sales team working for me, knowing they are listening and being respectful of the customer's wishes.

The other thing I continue to see is companies stepping out into unknown channels to help in the middle of everything. We have seen large manufacturers step up to help produce items in short supply. We have seen local companies supporting food banks in ways they have never before. And we've seen companies doing extra to try to keep their employees safe. Every one of these examples we see from businesses is being repeated and duplicated in the personal sector as well. I know of many trying to figure out how to support teachers and children in the incredibly difficult decisions being made around education. I know of neighbors who are paying much greater attention to those around them. There are a lot of good folks trying to do the right thing to help all of us get through this pandemic.

So today, I'm going to ask you for your support. As many of you know, I am a big fan of the Iowa State Fair. I've missed a few years, but overall I would tell you I've attended at least half of the years of my life. I love the experience. I love the fact that things change at the Fair, but they do so slowly. I know where to find my favorite lemonade vendor and where to find the best foot-long hot dog. They've been in the same place for decades. But this year they will not be in the same place as the Fair has been cancelled. I believe it is the right decision and am hopeful we will be back for the 2021 season. Like so many other things, in order to make sure the Fair goes forward, there are ongoing needs which must be met. 

Many people think the Iowa State Fair is supported through taxes, but most of the support for the fair and the fairgrounds comes in other ways. One way has been the Corn Dog kickoff. This event, usually held in July, is where people meet and bid, both through silent and live auctions, as well as having the opportunity to feast on many of the standard fair foods. This year, like the fair itself, the Corn Dog Kickoff has not been possible because of the pandemic.

  

In lieu of the live event, the decision was made to have an on-line auction to support the fair. This year, I built and donated a cedar park bench that converts to a picnic table.

There will be hundreds of items available through the auction.  I would encourage you to take a look. It is a great place to start your holiday shopping or just get something fun for yourself. 

The link to the website for the auction is: http://www.blueribbonfoundation.org/events/no-fair-i-do-care-benefit-auction

The auction begins at 10:00 AM August 13th and runs through 10:00 PM August 23.  I hope you will take time to check out the offerings.